1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic diagnosis method, and more particularly to an improved ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus provided with a function of measuring the volume or the like of an organ.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is a diagnostic apparatus by which an ultrasonic wave is radiated into a subject body and a two-dimensional echogram or the like of the body is reconstructed from reflected ultrasonic waves.
Also know nowadays is an apparatus which displays a two-dimensional echogram or a tomogram such as an image including a heart on a cathode ray tube (CRT) and can calculate the volume or the like of the heart based upon the displayed heart image.
Specifically, the volume of a heart can be displayed by designating several line segments traversing a displayed image of the heart, by a mouse or the like. In this case, the apparatus operates to read data of line segment lengths within the heart, and in accordance with the read data the heart volume is calculated by using a predetermined calculation equation.
However, with a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus constructed as above, in designating several line segments traversing the heart by using a mouse or the like, the displayed moving image is made still (freeze image).
Therefore, the calculated volume or the like is a value at some moment during the systole and diastole periods. The change in the volume during the continuous motion of the heart has been unable to be obtained in real time.